1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bank shot guide including a pool cue stick and more particularly to a bank shot guide including a pool cue stick, a floor accessory, or a tape measure, each having one or more visible markings disposed thereon which are extensions of the rail markings found on pool tables, billiard tables, carom tables, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Games, such as billiards, pool, snooker, carom, or the like use a cue stick and are played on a table bounded by elastic rails. Such table games using a cue stick are hereinafter, referred to collectively as “billiards” or “pool”. During billiards play, it is frequently necessary or desirable to direct the cue ball or an object ball into one or more rails to redirect the ball toward its intended target. When the ball directed into the rail is an object ball, the shot is known as a bank shot. When the ball directed into the rail is the cue ball, the shot is known as a kick shot.
Utilizing known principles of physics and geometry relating to particle collisions, it can be shown that a billiard ball will rebound from the rail at or near the same angle that it approaches the rail. However, the exact rebound angle is dependent upon the properties of the rail, the velocity of the ball, and any spin possessed by the ball as it strikes the rail.
Bank and kick shots, which may be referred to collectively as “bank shots”, are among the most difficult billiard shots to master. Consequently, numerous techniques and devices have been devised to train or assist players in executing bank shots. One known method to determine the theoretical point along a rail to aim a bank shot is to mentally calculate and visualize the aim point based on principles of geometry. The evenly spaced markings (for example, “diamond” markings) along the rails of most billiard tables are often used to assist in these mental exercises. Such methods to date, however, have been unsuccessful when the cue ball is on a table position where sight alignment with the rail diamond is not possible due to the finite length of the table. It would be desirable to extend the alignment diamonds beyond the playing table.
Thus, a bank shot guide for billiards solving the aforementioned problems is desired.